Broken Door Espresso

Clues:

In a few weeks…

Our new location will be an out door cafe.

It will be in downtown San Jose.

It will serve Blue Bottle Coffee.

Find me.

Is the Broken Door Espresso going to EVER re-open?

It has been a long tick tock tick tock.  We are still working on a few bugs here and there.  Unfortunately the wheels in San Jose move a bit slow but they do move needless to say.  So yes.  I just shook and asked the magic 8 ball and it said outlook good.  Find us soon in downtown in a different location ( I will say where later) late spring or early summer of 2009. Phew. Sorry for keeping you wondering.

an update to alll the love

the streets of downtown san jose have been asking when will we come back and sending their love to our email adress.

thanks for all your aprreciation, you will be rewarded, for it is far more than what we expected. if alll goes well, by the end of this month, October, we will have a more realistic idea as to when and where we will serve coffee from the blue bottle again.

thanks again. support barefoot and bellano coffee in the meantime!

temporarily closed

Yes the cafe is closed for now. And so sorry for the late update.

Meaning that we are working on certain details here and there that we hope you understand we can’t discuss in the open.

But the important thing is that we would like you to support in the meantime our good friends at Barefoot Coffee Roasters near Stevens Creek and Lawrence Expressway and near Saratoga and Stevens Creek visit Bellano Coffee.  And if you feel adventurous hop over the hill to Santa Cruz and visit Verve Coffee.  Oh and honerable mention to our new friends at Cafe Trieste on 1st Street in downtown San Jose.

Thanks for all your support while we were open. Saty tuned to this webpage and send us your love and hate  (smiles) as a comment here or to brokendoorespresso@yahoo(dot)com or to myspace/brokendoorespresso(dot)com

Drip Coffee versus Espresso

I often use the drip method here at the store to help compare the similarities between drip coffee and an espresso. Imagine if you will the following; the porcelain dripper as a portafilter, the paper filter is the double basket, and the pressure that the water flows through is also present but a bit different. In this log will not compare the strength of espresso versus drip coffee as far as caffeine goes. Let me explain.

Very quickly. 6 basic steps to pulling a shot of espresso. 1. Turn on the grinder to order and dose using the lever on the side of the grinder and dispense coffee grounds into the portafilter basket. 2. nce you have acquired a nice round mound that has over filled the basket um, SETTLE. This means you tap the portafilters base on a hard firm surface and thus encouraging coffee to settle into the basket furthermore. 3. using the straightest part of your hands or fingers DISTRIBUTE or LEVEL the grinds across the surface of the basket to creat a flat mesa or flat surface. 4. SET TAMP using the tamp applying no more than 2lbs of preassure on the surface. This creeates a nice groove for step 5. 5. TAMP straight down with your elbow straight up (90 degrees).

In pulling an espresso shot, you activate either manually or automatically a pump that will trigger water. Then the water is to be dispensed at 9 bars of preassure running through a dispersion screen where then no more than 2 ounces (we do between 1.5 and 1.75) of water will flow down and make contact (hopefully evenly) amongst the coffee grinds in the basket. The water in this case is at a temperature of 196 degrees fahrenheit between 202 (give or take) depending on the barista or cafe or even the coffee blend’s requirement, etc. The ‘pulling’ process occurs when the water initiates and you have a coffee/water ristriction occuring that will drip slowly and pick up pace steadily and finish off within a general rule of thumb 28-30 seconds. The espresso will or should look dark, syrupy or heavy, with nice little strides or flecks (coffee freckles) and hopefully satisfying. The person who trained me once said that an espresso that looks bad, will taste bad more often than not. Which is true. I found that not always the best looking espresso is the best tasting. There is no such thing as a God Shot. All this is easier said and read than done. Coffee is hard. Sorta simple but hard.

Making drip coffee (melitta or drip bar style) is a different aproach but keeping in mind the similarities is helpful.  You have your porcelain dripper.  Your size four brown paper coffee filter and hot water at 195 degrees is good. The coffee you use is best to have it roasted 3 days before. Again, the coffee you use is relevant to the blend/bean and taste.  But assuming you have fresh roasted coffee, grind about 50 grams of coffee to a grind a bit coarser than espresso fine. (as the days go by{haha}, make it coarser and add more coffee).  This keeps the bean intact longer from air that satles it, and adding more compensates for the size. So more coffee, coarser grinder as the days go by.

Water. It is just as important as coffee.  Clean, pure water. Bring to a almost boiling temp (205 f). Use 1 quart for 50 grams and no more. Your coffee will drip 10-12 ounces.

Basically here are some steps to making a great cup of coffee.

1. Pre wet the porcelain dripper with hot water (this will keep a nice warm temp and imagine it’s like the portafilter that’s preheating  in the grouphead

2. Insert the paper filter and pre wet that. This will remove some of that paper-ish taste. Also you want to be consistent with heat as you proceed in this drip.

3. Once you grind your beans and they are in the dripper, pre-wet the grounds with about 2-3 ounces of your carefully heated water. You should see a grow when the coffee and water react. it will be a dome shape growth. Don’t disturb that. Let it brew and drip for nearly 30 to 60 seconds.

4. Go on and pour the rest of the water in a clock wise manner from a good 12 inches from the dripper and pour a thin stream around the grounds.

5. Quickly but meticulously stir within the coffee so that water extraction is slow and steady. Don’t loose your water as your coffee may taste thin and watery.

6.  Enjoy.  like to drink have of my coffee black and maybe add a teaspoons worth of dairy(half and half, no flavoring) for the second half. Coffee can be good!!!

p.s. sorry for the late post

Coffee Hypothesis

I wanted to write some basics of what I have learned about coffee in my, give or take, two years of coffee making. We get a lot of customers (friends) that ask us why our coffee tastes so good. Others, that want to make better coffee at home. Some that want to work here but can not for X reason. Um, and basically this blog is for people who just want to know more about making a better cup of coffee or espresso. Note, I free and openly admit, I am no pro at this. Nor am I always right (although I am). But I can feel secure and confident about the why and the how on what I do know. And that is what this is about. So please write me back on all your thoughts. I am open to receive and sort of criticisms or anything. eduramos13@yahoo.com All in all, I hope this all helps.

So here I go in no particular order.

Espresso notes to people wanting to know basics on pulling a shot.

If I settle too much…my shot is typically slower because I have encouraged the grinds to fit and become more compact in the basket thus slowing the water whilst pulling or brewing an espresso.

If I settle less…the shot will be faster because I have encouraged water to flow faster through the basket when the shot is brewing.

If I distribute/level for a good 30 seconds on an evenly routine…my shot will be on the slow side because I would have used more of the dosed grinds and water restriction will be slower.

If I distribute/level for a good even 4 seconds (back forward back forward motion)…the espresso will be on the faster side because there will exist an easier/lighter path for which water will travel through.

If I turn the dial on the grinder to the right…my shot slows down because the cut of the grind is smaller.

Left, my shot speeds up because the grinds are bigger and tend to allow for more space in the basket and then the water flow is quicker.

I keep in mind always that coffee has the upper hand on me. And that I have to adjust to weather(cold, hot, humid,windy,etc…). Age of coffee is so important always!

Lets assume you have fresh coffee to work with.

Note the biggest misconception is that the word ‘fresh’. For us it means fresh from the date of roast. So if I have fresh coffee to play with, I will by default brew fresh coffee. Freshly brewed coffee doesn’t input that the coffee is always fresh from the roaster. Make sense? Don’t be fooled. Example, I buy coffee beans today and make a cup of coffee with these beans three months later at home. My coffee is freshly brewed, yes, but not ‘fresh’ coffee. Get it? There is a big difference between freshly brewed, old, staled coffee that will generally encourage the usage of half and half or some flavored creamer and freshly brewed coffee within three to four days of roast where you can smell sweetness, brightness, earthy-ness, nutty, perhaps even floral or berry like aromas that will encourage you to drink it without dairy and if you add dairy then hopefully thats enjoyable too and brings out different notes and/or depth to your coffee.

Another misused coffee vocabulary word is bitter or strong. Bitter means that the espresso could have been a darker roast and/or pulled longer than the 30 second rule of thumb. What makes coffee taste bitter? Not all coffee is bitter. What makes it bitter again is either a darker profile on the roast or simply put…old coffee. Coffee ages quickly. Quickly meaning that 2 weeks after roast the beans not only look a bit more oily in some cases but also loose more of there personality and thus taste burnt or bitter or flavorless. Now lets substitute the word beans in the previous sentence with the words ground coffee. A lot of the flavor of coffee lies within the bean. So when you grind it and brew it right away you have taken advantage of what the bean has to offer. On the other hand, brewing coffee beans that have been pre-ground and have sat around your house for a few days or in the grinder at the shop, will lack a certain taste that once was had. Basically what I am getting at is that coffee that has been exposed to air (a bean thats broken) will be stale and can taste bad.

What to do and what not to do as far as buying coffee and taking it home?

Well, when you buy coffee to take home from a shop or some market, make sure that its date of roast is giving or provided to you. Also buy only what you feel you will use withing 10 days or less (again this is only my advice and remember I am always right). Try to grind it at or nearest to home. It’ll most rewarding. Basically what I am getting at is that the more intact or the longer the bean is a bean the better the coffee will taste. Buy half pound bags of coffee as opposed to 1 pound bags. Buy the amount of what you will use quickest. Now for storing. Store it in your cupboard at home or on your table top, in your pocket, I don’t care where as long as its not in the freezer or outside on the porch. Coffee that is exposed to extreme temperatures will kill your beans, simply put. The person who trained me once said that coffee beans should be treated as tomatoes. Keeping them for a short period of time and enjoying them as soon as you can. I concur.

Sigh. That is it for now. Oh and one last note that may help you appreciate your coffee is…while you drink it, think about the farmer that spent his/her time in the outdoors picking/selecting the best beans for you, the (hopefully) few agents and buyers in between (fair trade or direct is always the best), the roaster who has roasted your beans 2 days ago, the barista that has spent months and months of training to make you the cup you will enjoy, um just appreciate it all for what it is. Enough said. Go drink some good coffee.

If your in the bay area here is what I recommend: (in no particular order) Bellano Coffee, Barefoot Coffee Roasters, EON Cafe, Ritual Coffee Roasters, Blue Bottle (of course), us and oh if you are in Santa Cruz, Verve Coffee. See ya addicts later.

blue bottle coffee among other things

I have been meaning to post this for a while and seeing how it just sits in the drafts of posts to complete, I figured might as well have it sit on among the posted blogs. So here is what we got. I had to modify some words and sentences so that it applies to our cafe whilst still giving credit to Blue Bottle Coffee. Some stuff I wrote based on what I found each blend or espresso to taste. In any case I put down the BBCC website where you can find the descriptions as well.

WHAT WE OFFER @ THE BROKEN DOOR ESPRESSO
DRIP COFFEE

Bella Donovan
The Bella is the wool sweater of our blends – warm, comforting, familiar. Wild and citrusy organic Ethiopian paired with earthy organic Sumatrian makes for a vivid and fairly complex Mokka/Java blend. It seems to weather the rigors of the automatic drip machine as well…this is, perhaps, why it’s our most popular blend. It is also on the darker side: nice and thick without being inelegant. Bella stands up to milk or cream well and is easily enjoyed black.

Sidamo

One cup just is not enough sometimes. Its taste can be that addicting. Sweet and delightful Sidamo is an organic single origin coffee. Takes dairy very well to create a nice heavy and thick, chocolaty feeling. We like to drink it alone and call it coffee wine. This is a good after meal coffee or one to enjoy for its bright personality. Its fruity aroma during the drip process is well worth the wait. Roasted fruit loops anyone? Sidamo, is a favorite here at Broken Door Espresso.

Giant Steps
A blend of Sumatran and Ugandan organic coffees that is quite dark and chocolaty. Maybe a bit more one-dimensional than the Bella Donovan, but it is a good dimension. Giant Steps is delightfully fudgy and thick in a French press or drip pot, and stands up to cream quite well. If it were any heavier-bodied, you could pour it on pancakes.
Three Africans
This coffee is a blend of Ugandan and two different Ethiopian coffees and produces a big, chocolately aroma, and excels in either the French press or the Mokka pot. This blend has a very easy-to-like personality, good body, unthreatening complexity, and reasonably clean aftertaste. We love Ugandan coffee here, as long as there are mitigating influences. The Ethiopian – Yirgacheffe and dry processed Sidamo – clean up the slightly off raisiny aftertaste inherent in the Ugandan, leaving a subtle imprint of dried blueberries and cardamom. A fairly dark roast, this African blend will take milk or cream quite well. Some say damn well.
ESPRESSO

Espresso Temescal
If we were to commission a sonnet for one of our blends, the Espresso Temescal would be the hands-down choice for this honor. It is complex, poetic, finicky – if you make coffee in your garrett, loft studio, Pied-a-terre, atelier…this is your blend. A medium roast that is a fairly intricate blend of coffees from Sumatra, Costa Rica, Mexico and Ethiopia, the Espresso Temescal reigns supreme in the Mokka pot. It also pulls a fascinating shot on a lot of espresso machines.

Hayes Valley Espresso
As opposed to the other espressi we offer, this is more of an – American-style – espresso – darker, lower-toned, no brightness, plenty of chocolate – thick and rich at 192 degrees at the portafilter – with an engaging complexity as a straight shot. The shots are gorgeous: achingly heavy with voluptuous red-brown crema. In milk, it tastes like chocolate ovaltine, and holds its own from the daintiest 3oz Macchiato to our towering 12oz café latte.
Retrofit Espresso
Named after the upcoming terrorist-proofing of the bay Bridge Bart tube, this espresso is a sweet and simple delight. Not particularly demanding of the barista, the retrofit is a balanced and mild espresso: the most Italian tasting of any we currently serve. This is not an espresso for big milk drinks. Lovers of tall milky drinks might scratch their heads in disappointed confusion wondering where their coffee is. But if you know that a macchiato does not have caramel in it, this could be your espresso.

Roman Espresso
A bit of a hothouse flower, the Roman Espresso can turn on you in an instant if one of a dozen or so brewing parameters are not to its liking. Generally, it likes lower brewing temperatures (approximately 184 at the portafilter), and slower extraction times. In the right machine, it is a crema bomb, pouring oceans of the red/brown frothy stuff into your unsuspecting demitasse. When all is well, the result is a sweet, carmelly, fruity medium-bodied espresso that takes modest amounts of milk in the most delightful way. As pleasant as it is, after a couple of years of tweaking and fine-tuning, it doesn’t much resemble the espresso enjoyed in Rome any more, but we’re not about to shell out another twelve bucks for a new rubber stamp when we have a perfectly good one right here.

Broken Espresso

The Broken Espresso is a musical composition involving a lot of Samba. The Blue Bottle Coffee Co. has honored us with a quartet tribute for the La Marzocco Linea. Nicaragua, Sumatra, Uganda and Brazil make for a heavy espresso. This espresso is similar to the strength of The Hayes Valley but gives a bit more crema with a satisfying spice in the end. It makes killer gibraltars and intense cappuccinos. Overall, we give it a warm welcome and are happy to accept and dirnk this Blue Bottle fine selection of beans.
Decaf Noir
A Swiss water process decaf that is vivid and packed with flavor, Decaf Noir is made from 100% organic Swiss water processed decafinated beans from East Timor, Sumatra and New Guinea. If you drink it strong, store it carefully and use it up quickly (buy a smaller amount and try to use if up in a week), you will be rewarded with very big flavors.
and finally

New Orleans Iced Coffee
This is quite a process for us at the café. We combine a coarse selection of coffee with French chicory and cool filtered water into a large stockpot. Let is sleep in the cold chamber and remove the caffeine extraction into another stockpot the next day. Finally, we carefully melt sugar with its own caffeine content and combine into yet another container. Serve it over ice and milk and enjoy. Iced Latte….er I mean, ahem, New Orleans Iced for me please. Careful this comes fully loaded.
Brokendoorespresso.com

Bluebottlecoffee.net

Finally, I posted the pictures

Here are some of the pictures I took on my trip to Portland late last year. Actuallly, they are on the photo section to the right of this. But you can figure it out. Thanks for your patience. I was just being lazy.

Hello CHNW!

Free cappuccinos Feb 6th among other things

Yes. Free. All friggin day. Wednesday February 6th.

Why? Vien’s so long. And good luck at the Blue Bottle Cafe.

Why? Les’ birthday.

And finally why? Cause it’s also Rachel’s birthday. (Feb 5th but whose counting really?)

So yes free capps. All day. Shop open at 630am til 7pm. See you there.

and…

an artists’ reception part two. We dropped the ball in January but we will be making it up by hitting San Jose with live music by Panthelion, Mr. Jameson and new art by A. Nat. Gee andAlex Oliva.  Shop closes at 5pm on fridays but we will re-open at 8pm for this event. The coffee menu will be…Mocha, Latte, Cappuccino, Americano, Macchiato, Espresso, Gibraltars and will throw in Hot Cocoa among other beverages. Recommended donations will be gladly accepted.  See you there!

231 e. santa clara

san jose ca 95113

408-947-6001

coffee scene in Portland among other things

I just came back from a short road trip up the 1 and 101 through CA and Oregon to Portland. The city itself is amazing and the people were wonderful and I’m overall short for words on how beautiful Downtown Portland is. Let me just start by saying that this place is a coffee utopia. No need to ask where can I find a good cup of coffee cause the majority of places I visited did a fantastik job. I saw La Marzocco and Synesso machines and a bunch of Super Jolly grinders even the places I didn’t go into. Here is a list of the shops I walked into:

Stumptown in the Ace Hotel, CoffeeHouse Northwest, World Cup Coffee, Stretto Cafe, Portland Coffee House, Coffee People, Stumptown on 3rd Avenue, and Extracto, Coffee Time.

A big shout out to Johnny from Stumptown, Charlotte, Billy, Weston and the rest of Coffeehouse Northwest serving Hair Bender elixir.

In general, DT Portland is one of my favorite cities in the US. The drive up the coast was breathtaking and even though it rained a lot, there are so many little towns along the way that are worth pit stopping. The environment is so green and the streets are shiny during the nightlife due to rain in Portland. People are kind and very considerate. There is a lot to see like the Japanese Gardens, China Town, the Hawthorne district. The biggest park in the US. and the smallest. My favorite structure is the Steel Bridge that lead to the Rose Garden. I have very few to say that is bad about this coffee utopia. I can’t wait to go back and make my way to Seattle as well.

Pictures up soon. -eddie